I started by coating a layer of Prima Clear Gesso onto watercolor paper, attached some white tissue paper to it, and sealed it with another coat. Once dry, I used some Lindy Stamp Gang Sprays onto the background (Brushed Nickel, Black Orchid Silver, and Cathedral Pines Green), waited for it to dry again, and then stamped black script over it with the Beauty of a Woman Background Unmounted Stamp. For the title I used the Sweet Sayings Unmounted Stamp with red ink to make it stand out.

All of the other stamping was embossed onto clear, red, and green vellum papers using Lindy's Stamp Gang Embossing Powder (Queen Sheba's Silver), and the Celtic Images Cling Mounted Stamp, for my Irish brother-in-law. Then I used a small watercolor brush to color in the designs with Lindy's Stamp Gang Spray (Black Orchid Silver).

The lattice work was done with white gesso and TCW Butterfly Collage Stencil. Once dry, I used the stencil again to apply some Inka-Gold (Platinum) with my finger. Then I layered three different sheer ribbons, and attached some white fibers and strands of pearls across the page.

All of the red flowers are Petaloo's Textured Red Blossoms.

The small white flowers I've had for a long time, and just added some pearls to the centers. The large white one is from Prima's Holiday Jubilee. Then I scattered some buttons around, stitched in white, to go with the hand-stitching I did in between the photos.

All of the layers are made from white cardstock colored with sprays and Lindy's Stamp Gang Magicals. I stamped the main Relax and Fish Unmounted Stamp with permanent black, brown, and green inks. Behind it, I stamped the Charming Forest Cling Mounted Stamp with permanent black ink, tore around the edges, and gave them both a coat of Tim Holtz Collage Medium Vintage.

I also coated the trees on top with Collage Medium after first stamping the treeline with Magicals, using the Mountain Scenery Unmounted Stamp, and then stamping over it again with brown permanent ink.

The PERFECT addition to this card is the vintage buttons! The large green one I inherited from my grandma, and covered it with Distress Embossing Powders, (Brushed Corduroy and Vintage Photo) to give the illusion of a trunk and branches coming from the stamped tree below it.

I also love this brown leather button that I inherited from my great grandma, and stitched it inside of the loop of rope that was inked with some browns! Buttons always go great with stitching, so I machine stitched most of my layers, using a different color thread on each one.

The background of the card was made with gesso and cheesecloth for some texture, and colored with sprays. The banner pieces are chipboard colored with LSG Magicals (Greased Lightnin' Green, Sandra Dee Sepia, Danny Zuko's Denim, and Sassy Sapphire) which I used throughout the card.

I started by stamping a border around my blue cardstock with two different doilies from the Bo Bunny Stitches Stamp, using Picket Fence Distress Ink for a softer, faded look. After punching and spraying the back of the "Greenhouse" paper, I used the same stamp for the stitches, as well as on the butterfly and floral paper that I got from the Ephemera. Then I layered and stamped the butterflies using the Bo Bunny Flutter Stamp onto white cardstock colored with Distress Inks (Wilted Violet, Blueprint Sketch, and Seedless Preserves).

Sunday, July 17, 2016

The main image was stamped with black permanent ink onto watercolor paper colored with Lindy's Stamp Gang Magicals (Drop Dead Gorgeous Green, Sassy Sapphire, and Prima Donna Purple). I used every stamp in the set, fading some of the flower stamps into the background. Then I applied Mermaid Stickles to the darker stamping, and Purple Stickles to the purple cardstock underneath.

For even more shimmer and sparkle, I machine stitched around the image using metallic specialty threads in purple and teal.

I used the same Magicals to color an old piece of lace, and glued it to black cardstock that I punched and added Black Diamond Stickles to.

Except for the purple roses, I also used the same Magicals to color the flowers, including some Petaloo DIY ones, and added some buttons in between.

Then I used purple, black, and green sheer ribbons across the bottom half of my page, to let the lace show through. The background is a teal cardstock that I applied Turquoise Stickles to, and is much more vibrant and teal than the photos show.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

I had a lot of fun with color (again) on a layout featuring the Dream Cling Mounted Stamp from Red Rubber Designs! Instead of scrapping a photo though, I scrapped the silhouette of this beautiful stamp, using LSG Magicals to color the background, flowers, and lace.

For the wet medium, I sprinkled some Lindy's Stamp Gang Magicals (Sassy Sapphire) onto white cardstock and sprayed it with water. Once dry, I used Bo Bunny White Gesso and paint to make clouds, which is what really inspired me from the evidence. The black transparency is my something transparent, and comes in the Spice Market Die-Cut Cardstock and Transparency Forms, along with the True Happiness Die.

The die that's under the bottom photo and the white flowers on top come in the Waterfall Theme Pack, and the strips of leaves are stickers that come with the paper collection. Then I used the Chipboard strip that says YOU & ME, inking the edges with Worn Lipstick Distress Ink.

I made half rosettes with punched edges under the straws, adding My Mind's Eye Chalk Studio 2 Enamel Dots to the centers, and 3 little ones under TRUE HAPPINESS. From the TESTIMONY I journaled about time outdoors, and used the Inspiration Words, relax and outdoors.

Saturday, July 9, 2016

I'm SO excited to share the first mini kit that I helped create for FotoBella! It features the gorgeous Prima Marketing Butterfly papers, flowers, cardstock, and embellishments to match.

Have you ever wanted to hand-stitch? There's no excuses not to try when your embroidery thread and colors have already been picked out for you. I find it to be so relaxing, and used it here on this vintage layout that I made of my husband's late grandmother.

The ribbons and metal embellishments are exclusive to FotoBella, along with the pink roses shown here!

On this 2 pager you'll learn to create dimension with gesso and a stencil, that's included in the kit.